Some time ago, a few friends and I were out for a hike in the north of the Isle of Man. We met in the grand sturdy village of Kirk Michael and set off on an upward ascent, towards the Northern Hills of the Island. It was a fine clear day, with sunshine powerful enoughContinue reading “This Is Not Bliss”
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Sour Charity
On the evidence of the above photo, life in the Museum Quarter of Douglas at least is returning to normal. Barely had the latest lockdown lifted, than this familiar sight appeared. Clothes fly-tipped on the door of a charity shop, which is making it quite clear that it is not open to receive donations. (AndContinue reading “Sour Charity”
Seasons of the Tholtan
As we emerged, blinking like bush babies from the latest lockdown, a friend suggested using our rediscovered freedom to go for a walk in the Manx countryside. As I live in the middle of Douglas, and therefore hadn’t left the town boundaries for eight weeks or so, this seemed an excellent idea. A bit ofContinue reading “Seasons of the Tholtan”
The Train Now Departing is Arriving
It was only very recently that I wrote this article for Gef about the relationship between the Isle of Man and tellybox programmes. https://gef.im/2021/04/10/give-me-more-manx-tv/ Then I discovered this blast of steam from the past, available on the BBC iPlayer. It’s the Manx episode of a series called The Train Now Departing about vintage railways aroundContinue reading “The Train Now Departing is Arriving”
Elisabeth Sladen: 10 Years On
At the time of writing (19 April 2021) it’s the tenth anniversary of the death of the actor Elisabeth Sladen. She had a good solid career combining theatre, including a spell working for Alan Ayckbourn at his Scarborough theatre, and TV, where she appeared in such well-regarded shows as Z Cars, Coronation Street, and SomeContinue reading “Elisabeth Sladen: 10 Years On”
Taking A Dive Into Open Air Pools
Warning: my latest article for Gef contains references to nearly-naked Victorians. A Manxman has already written a letter of complaint. You may want to keep the smelling salts handy as you click on the link below, and dive in. https://gef.im/2021/04/17/taking-a-dive-into-open-air-pools/
A Very Brief History
It’s the birthday of one of the most controversial figures in Manx history – William Christian, AKA Illiam Dhone. To mark the occasion Culture Vannin have shared this YouTube video from Jack Rackam. The title Patriot or Traitor? pretty much sums up the whole debate that’s rumbled on about Dhone since he was executed byContinue reading “A Very Brief History”
Let’s Not Knock Knox Jokes
I instantly fell for this photo that Manx artist Alice Quayle posted online recently, to mark the birthday of the most famous Manx artist of all, Archibald Knox. The picture was taken in 1930 and shows Knox standing in the grounds of the Douglas School of Art, where he had learned his craft decades earlier.Continue reading “Let’s Not Knock Knox Jokes”
Telly Vannin
I’ve had the pleasure of writing for the excellent Manx website Gef again. Here I’m looking at what happens when the Isle of Man crops up on TV programmes. Why don’t you just switch off your television set and click on the link below instead? https://gef.im/2021/04/10/give-me-more-manx-tv/
The Steam Peacock
Dear old Facebook, forever encouraging us to look at the past, while examining our personal data for future use, today flagged up this photo as being exactly two years old. As you can clearly see, it’s a peacock, invading rather a lot of personal space, in a railway station. The Steam Railway station in Douglas,Continue reading “The Steam Peacock”
